Baroque monastic libraries prioritized spectacle over reading accommodation

Evidence

Above all, the redesigned monastic libraries of Germany, Austria and Bohemia were laid out to impress their visitors and made little provision for desks where the books might be consulted. — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 958

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 958
• XREF: connects to: Dutch municipal libraries prioritized prestige Latin works over vernacular books readers wanted — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 418; Baroque library design sacrificed reading space for visual display — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 494